Evanescent Moonlight
by poeticmaiden
Summary: A romance of the immortal, thwarted by a secret that should have been told, bleeds over into the realms of earth. Written for The Oblivious Seraph for the Phenomenon 2009. Rated PG for some violence.
1. Joremn

**Author's Note: Those of you who have added me to your favorite authors list may be surprised at not finding a Sherlock Holmes story waiting for you. There's a good reason for this. Over the past two months, I have been participating in a ficathon called The Phenomenon, which is kind of like a Secret Santa thing for stories. All the participants submitted prompts they would like to see turned into stories, and then the moderator distributed them in secret to the different participants. Here is the link to the official Phenomenon thread on the ACA forums: (.net/topic/34546/18712043/1/), or the thread in which all the real stuff happened: (.net/topic/34546/17390445/1/). Because of the wide variety of fandoms represented by the members of the ACA (which stands for Assembly of Christian Authors), many people were pushed to try something new. **

**This story was written for The Oblivious Seraph, whose prompt was this: "Write a story in which the Princess of the Moon falls in love with her brother, the Prince of the Sun, whose best friend, the Prince of the Earth, falls in love with her." **

**Seraph, you have unwittingly spawned an epic. **

**Yes, this story really would love to be a novel. Hence the reason for me not getting it even close to done by the deadline. So please forgive the fact that this is a WIP. I am going to try to get this story done before NaNoWriMo, so I shall try to update frequently. **

**Enjoy! **

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_**Chapter 1**_

_Joremn_

She is ethereal. She is immortal. She is the loveliest thing to ever grace the heavens, so high above me that I, the earth, would never dream of trying to touch her – so far is she beyond my grasp.

And yet she came down, night after night, to dance in my fields, sending her pale pearl dreams gleaming in the forest clearings, her light blue eyes shining from pure joy. She, Eyveniel, Princess of the Moon. I would say her name over and over to myself as I watched her movements from the shadows, filled with a love that, night after night, broke my heart.

I suppose it was foolish and selfish of me to watch her in the first place, knowing well that she thought she was alone. I won't say I couldn't help it, for that is only an excuse. I have complete control over myself when I wish to have it. For me, it was the simple adoration that those members of the earth cannot help but feel when they look up at the sky – and to have her here, in my realm! That was almost more than I could bear. May heaven forgive me for my one fault, that I allowed myself to watch her and grow to love her, though I knew she would hate my affections if she ever learned of them.

Yes, I can also be perfectly logical when I wish to be, though I admit that my heart is greater than my head, and that it sometimes leaps ahead without waiting for my mind to catch up. I spent many a day considering the situation before me, and considering the dreadful reality: if my love were to become known, there could be only one outcome. It is customary among the Keepers for the lady to live in the realm of her lord, though she still retains her position of watching over her own realm. And who would dare to bring the Princess of the Moon down to the Earth? Certainly not I! I am not such a selfish fool.

But even with all these logical thoughts by day, by night I still watched her. It seemed that I could never grow weary of the sight of her bare white feet gracefully brushing the dewy grass, or of her glowing silver hair as it flowed and wavered and leapt behind her – or of her face, so perfect that it seemed carved out of the purest marble, and yet ever so much more alive! Every night, I stayed less and less in the shadows – until one night I came too close to the open, and as she whirled by one of her pale blue eyes caught mine. She slowed to a halt, startled, her doe-like form ready to spring away at the first sign of danger.

I stepped out of the shadows and into the full moonlight so that she could see me, my deeply embarrassed heart pounding in my chest. "Forgive me for watching you," I said. "I did not mean to disturb your dancing." I stopped, not knowing what else to say to her. Those blue eyes studied me, taking in my leafy tunic, my tanned skin that in the daylight betrayed the slightest hue of green, my brown hair that did not glow. I was painfully aware of the way her gaze penetrated me, almost frightening me with its brilliance. My heart wept over the blunder I had made and called me a fool over and over again, so that it was hard to retain my calm control over myself.

Some of the fear left her eyes. "Please," she said, not loudly but clearly, so that the whole clearing seemed filled with her voice, "tell me who you are, and why you watch me from the shadows."

"I am Joremn, Prince of the Earth," I said, spreading my hands to indicate myself.

Her face lighted suddenly with recognition, which startled me a little. "Oh, I have heard your name before!" she said. "You are the soul brother of Coranth, Prince of the Sun."

"He and I are very good friends," I replied modestly.

She smiled. "He has spoken often of you, and told me how you two wander the fields of the earth together by day. But what are you...." She paused, noble lady though she was, and looked at the ground. "I suppose I shouldn't ask you to give an account of yourself," she murmured, "since I am the one dancing in your fields without your permission."

The guilt in her voice disturbed me. "Oh, don't let that trouble you!" I hastened to say. "I do not regard it as a trespass – far from it! Any child of the Lord of the Stars is more than welcome in my humble abode. I hereby give you my permission to come here whenever you wish, and I shall not trouble you in the least." I bowed to her and turned to go, thinking that I had already stayed too long, but her voice stopped me.

"Oh please, do not go! These are your fields: there is no reason why you should remain the shadows while I dance! We can dance together, and the dance will be all the merrier!"

I turned back towards her, my heart blessing the sweet innocence that radiated from her presence. "My lady, I would gladly, but I fear that I am not worthy to dance in the presence of the Princess of the Moon."

She laughed. "Not worthy? Oh Joremn, where would you get such a foolish idea? What law dictates that you are my inferior? On the contrary, I am honored to have finally met you. And if you will not believe me, then I will play according to your rules and command you to stay."

I bowed again. "I am yours to command, if you are certain that you don't dishonor yourself by retaining me."

I half expected her laugh again, but instead she was silent, and when I looked up I saw that she was smiling contemplatively. "You are just as humble and gracious as Coranth said," she mused. "I must admit, I was afraid when I first caught a glimpse of you. But now I cannot help but thank my good fortune that I came upon you." She twirled around, and then looked at me. "Shall we dance?"

We danced to the music of the stars, in the manner befitting two Keepers who intend to keep within propriety: each dancing our own separate dances, intertwined into one brilliant pattern. At intervals our palms would touch, and I would twirl her around, and then the cycle would repeat. The dance was indeed all the merrier for dancing together. Our joyful laughter filled the clearing, singing a song of its own. I was sorry when the night was over and the dance ended, and she came to me to bid me farewell.

"We will dance again tomorrow night," she said. "I enjoy your company, Joremn, Prince of the Earth. You dispel my loneliness with your presence."

Her statement surprised me. "But why should one such as yourself be lonely?" I asked before I could help myself.

She uttered a sad little sigh. "Traversing the sky can be a lonely affair, and I have few acquaintances. Truly, I would trade my honored position as Princess of the Moon to be a simple water nymph here on earth, with many sisters to keep me company."

"Don't say that," I protested. "I would not have you any other way." As soon as the statement left my mouth, I regretted it, for it spoke of my emotions all too clearly.

But Eyveniel – sweet, gentle soul – was not at all perturbed by what I said. Instead she smiled up at me gratefully, her moon-eyes sparkling with their white fire.

"You will be here tomorrow?" she asked.

"I promise," I said, taking her hand and bringing it to my lips. "Until tomorrow, then."

The smile she sent my direction before she turned to dance away was so brilliant that it almost blinded me with its glory. Long after her sweet radiance had departed from the clearing, I lingered, as if rooted to the spot. I could not help the silly grin that spread slowly over my features. I could not yet tell whether what had just transpired would turn out to be a blessing or a curse. But that did not stop my heart from rejoicing.


	2. Coranth

**Thank you all for your lovely reviews, and sorry it has taken me so long to update! The chapter was a monster to edit -- partially because it's so long. Please forgive the length; I could not find a sensible place to chop it in two. **

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_**Chapter 2**_

_Coranth_

I glanced over at Joremn, noting for the third time that morning the odd, uncharacteristic look lingering on his face. Yes, he looked very different from the way he had yesterday, and I could not keep silent on the subject any longer.

"An odd change has come over you, Joremn," I said almost casually, but with an underlying note of seriousness to show him that I did not take this lightly. "You are more thoughtful and dreamy than normal. Pray, tell me what is preoccupying you so."

For the past half hour we had been walking side by side through a field of tall, windblown grass, and it startled me when he slowed to a halt and actually _blushed_. Now, ordinarily, Joremn is not the kind to blush easily. To actually see his cheek turn a shade redder than it was before was such an unusual sight that I found myself blinking in astonishment – a thing _I _normally don't do.

I raised an eyebrow to guilt him into confessing. "Oh come now, Joremn, you are not one to keep secrets from me. Knowing you, it couldn't be anything all that shameful."

He laughed reluctantly and started walking again, albeit slower than before. "It's not that it's a matter I wish to keep hidden from you, Coranth. It's that... well, I'm not sure what to think of it – whether I even believe it myself or not."

"Why shouldn't you believe it?"

He managed a thoughtful little half-smile, not to me but to himself. "Strange things can happen during the night, you know."

"No, I wouldn't know. Do they?"

Joremn laughed out loud. "One of these days, Coranth, I'll find a way to bring you here to earth during the night, just so you can see what it's like. You have no idea what you're missing."

"What? And leave the sun untended?"

Joremn's laughter subsided to a chuckle. "Oh, don't sound so scandalized, Coranth. I know for a fact that you have many trusty underlings who would be able to take over your duties for a little while. And I wouldn't keep you away for long: only for a day. It would be worth it, I promise you."

I reflected on his words. Much as I hated neglecting my sacred commission even for a moment, I knew, logically, that he was right. Keepers were permitted short respites, and those who served me could govern the sun as well as I in my absence. But the thought of abandoning my post went against my nature. It had been three thousand human years since I last left my duties—and that had been only for a dire emergency, which I will not elaborate on now.

But then again, I could not deny my curiosity about the night. I had heard many stories about it, and about the grace and splendor of Zeldaire, Queen of the Night. My brother stars were said to shine clear enough so that the inhabitants of the earth could see them. And then of course, there was Eyveniel, Princess of the Moon, inspiration for so many human poems and songs. This last point lingered in my mind longer than the others, since, for me, it is a point of some regret.

"I should like to see the moon and its Keeper in their full glory," I remarked to Joremn. "I see them both regularly, of course, but I know that my own light outshines hers, and I have long desired to see what she is like without my radiant influence. If all that the humans say is true, she must be very beautiful in the night indeed."

I said this casually, not expecting that Joremn's face would turn fiery red once again, and that he would turn away from me and begin to study the earth beneath his feet very intently. "She is," he murmured.

Ah, so whatever was bothering him concerned _her_. I smiled.

"Tell me, Joremn. What is it about her?"

He turned back to look at me, shamefaced. "I'm sorry, Coranth. I didn't mean to, I know I really don't deserve to, I shouldn't have....."

I laid a hand on his shoulder. "Stop. I still don't know what in heaven you're talking about. What did you do?" I fixed a penetrating stare on him, knowing that if he were innocent of wrongdoing, he would be able to withstand it. "You haven't done anything that would injure her honor in any way, have you?"

"No!" he cried, taking a step backwards. "Never!" His momentary anger helped to drown out his embarrassment, but did not drive it away altogether. He returned his gaze to the ground. "I.... I don't think so. I didn't mean to."

I sighed, trying to hide my smile. Considering that this was Joremn, one of the most honorable beings I have ever known, he was sure to be blowing the incident far out of proportion. "If the Princess of the Moon knew of this.... breach.... would she consider her honor to be injured?"

He continued to stare at the ground, thinking. "She knows," he said. "At least, most of it. I tried to tell her that the Prince of the Earth was too far beneath her station to associate with her, but she would not listen."

I put my hand on Joremn's shoulder again, forcing him to stop. "Joremn," I reprimanded, "whatever put that ridiculous notion into your head? That's as if you said you are too lowly to associate with _me_!"

Rather to my consternation, instead of taking the statement as the foolishness it was, he continued as if he actually believed it. "Well," he said, "wouldn't it be a little... _forward_... if I claimed I was your equal?"

I stared at him in utter disbelief. I didn't think I had ever heard him say something so stupid, before or since.

"Something has happened last night to deprive you of your sanity," I informed him curtly. "We _are _equals, Joremn! If I had the audacity to claim that you were less than me, I would be a liar to the highest degree – not to mention that I would be dragged from my palace and beaten into repentance by the other princes!"

"But Coranth, think of yourself… your brother stars… all the beings that grace the heavens. Think of what you rule over, in all its beauty and brilliance, and compare it to my lowly realm. There is no comparison! Any objective observer would come to the same conclusion I have come to!"

"Our realms are different, certainly," I replied, beginning to be thoroughly irritated. "But that does not automatically make one greater or less than the other. I know I could find several Keepers who would actually say that your realm is greater than mine."

He looked dumbfounded, and he just stood there for a moment, his eyes wide. The wind played with his earth-brown hair, twirling it in new swirls and arches, and rustling the leaves that clad him.

"I can't see why anyone would say that," he mumbled after a minute.

I shook my head at him sadly, bemoaning his short-sightedness. "I thought you claimed to be a thinker, Joremn. Haven't you considered the fact that your realm is the home of the humans? Their _only _home, I might add?"

"Yes," Joremn conceded hesitantly, sounding as if he either did not know where I was taking my argument, or knew perfectly well and was treading cautiously, in order to avoid accidentally agreeing with me.

"And who are the creations that the One and Only gave Himself for? That He loves completely?"

Joremn blushed. "I suppose you do have a bit of a point there."

"More than that," I said. "You have some very special, highly-valued beings placed in your charge. How could you dare call that unimportant?"

He looked at the ground, and though the red color in his cheeks had faded, the feeling of shame still radiated from him. I hated embarrassing him like this, but sometimes the soul is just too stubborn, and—_especially_ in areas concerning his own worth—he needs straightening out from time to time.

"I can't have you doubting yourself," I continued flatly. "Especially when I need you by my side to help me fight the Prince of Corruption."

He returned his gaze to me, a woebegone expression on his face. "But don't you see that that is the very reason I doubt myself?" he asked quietly. "Think of your realm, Coranth: pure fire and glory, with no blemish to mar its beauty or cause you to worry. Not so with mine." He glared at his hands. "Where else does evil run so rampant? It's everywhere here, Coranth. _Everywhere._ And it seems that I can never do anything to stop it, no matter how hard I try."

"You know that you haven't been given authority to stop it," I pointed out. "It was the humans' choice, and the One and Only has decreed that they must live by that choice."

"I know." That didn't change the look on his face. Once again he turned away, wincing as he did so, recalling something painful to him. "It's so difficult sometimes."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "I know I cannot fully understand," I said. "But I can imagine what it would be like. You are a strong one, Joremn. You bear much that the rest of us probably will never know about. I admire you."

He smiled at me with a mixture of thanks and amazement. "Me? Do you really mean that?"

I laughed at him, dispelling the tension in the air. "Of course I mean it! Now come, I will brook no opposition from you. You have yet to tell me what it is that brings such a red color to your green-hued face."

"Ohhh..." Just the mention of it was enough to bring said red color again to the surface of his skin.

"You had better just tell me this time, without preamble," I threatened him, beginning to lose patience. "It didn't work so well last time."

"It worked perfectly well!" he protested nervously.

"Meaning that you never got around to actually telling me."

He shuffled his feet and did not reply.

"Honestly, Joremn, are you really just going to stand there blushing like one of those little human girls? Don't look so surprised – I _do _know enough about human culture to at least make a few references to it. Come now, be... what do they call it?… be man enough to tell me. You've already proven that it is nothing as serious as you would pretend it is. Out with it."

"You might be angry with me."

"I _will _be angry with you if you spurn my trust any longer. You're being insufferable."

He swallowed, and then stopped, standing ramrod-straight. "Fine, then," he said, his voice resolved but his cheeks still fiery. "I'll just say it." He paused, wincing, and then continued. "Last night, I...." He trailed off, his resolve melted, his eyes gazing off into the distance as if he had just rediscovered the horror of what he had done.

"Joremn? You were saying?"

He sighed miserably, and then seated himself on the ground, motioning for me to do the same. He put his hand on the ground, causing a stately oak tree to grow out of the spot in a matter of moments, shading him. I saw that he was about to ask if I wanted him to do the same for me, but then he remembered: I never need or want protection from the sun, as you might say that I _am _the sun. We sat, then, side-by-side, he in the shade of the tree that had grown up at his command, and I in my own light.

He was silent for several moments, gazing at his feet stretched out before him, and I let him remain that way, knowing him well enough to understand that this was the sort of silence that preceded him confessing to me whatever it was that troubled his conscience. At last he spoke.

"She comes down every night, you know, to dance on the fields of the earth – much like you do, only she has been alone with her moonlight."

"Has been?"

"Yes." He sighed with a bit of a shudder. "I watched her, Coranth – in secret, in the shadows. She didn't know I was there until last night, when she saw me and stopped dancing."

I reflected on this revelation. I have reasons to care for Eyveniel beyond the natural care that one Keeper feels for another, and if any other prince had confessed to behavior like this, I might have been angry and suspected him of lingering too long on the edge of darkness. I, for one, cannot understand shadows, save in a negative light, and I think that to use them to conceal oneself is shameful and weak.

But this was Joremn. Joremn, kind-hearted and humble, always gracious, never wanting to hurt anyone. Why would he watch Eyveniel night after night, and why would color rise to his cheeks every time he spoke her name. The answer to that was obvious to me. In spite of his good intentions and his feeling of inferiority, Joremn had fallen in love.

Love. A curious emotion, I find it. I myself am not inclined to it, preferring to focus on the duties I have been given them and performing them with all my strength, finding all the comfort I need in male friendship and not actively desiring a female companion. But I have observed the ways of Love a long time – long enough, I think, to begin comparing results and drawing some conclusions.

Most other princes, upon the discovery of a beautiful princess dancing in their realm, would not have held back the flame of love, but would have introduced themselves without delay, and with the charm necessary to win such a fair maid. But not Joremn. I saw it all now. He viewed such an action as purely selfish. So he watched from the shadows, not willing to interfere.

But his wish to remain in the shadows had not been granted. He had been discovered.

"What did you do?" I asked.

He continued to stare thoughtfully in front of him, not looking at me. "I apologized, of course," he said. "What else could I do?"

"Did she receive your apology?"

"Yes – a little too quickly, I thought." Joremn smiled a sad smile. "It seemed to me that she did not quite understand the danger she would have been in if it had been one of the fallen keepers, and not I."

Yes.... –yes, that did sound like Eyveniel.

"And then what did you do?"

"I tried to leave."

"And you did not succeed?"

"She ordered me to stay."

"Ordered?" I cocked my head, finding this curious. "How could she presume to order you to do anything?"

"Because she is the Princess of the Moon?" Joremn ventured.

"We already had this discussion," I told him bluntly. "Why?"

He pondered. "I suppose it was because she couldn't convince me to stay of my own accord."

I hid a smile, seeing now what had happened. Bless Joremn for his honor! I could see him now, spouting some nonsense about him not being worthy to stay in her presence. If a Princess had had the audacity to order me to do any such thing, I would have been offended. But Eyveniel had been wise, taking the course best suited to my friend.

"And you stayed?" I asked.

"I could not refuse her."

"And what did you do?"

"We danced," he said, turning a deeper shade of red. "Not anything... well, romantic," he added hastily. "Just the ordinary dance."

"And at the end of the night you parted?"

"Yes. But... but she asked me if I could accompany her tonight."

"And what did you answer?"

He smiled slightly. "She made it clear to me that it was her express desire. I promised I would. But now I begin to wonder if I should have."

"And, pray, what makes you think it might be a bad idea?"

He looked at me in consternation. "Well, doesn't it sound like one to you? I don't even know what I was thinking. Every night..."

"Joremn!" I said, grabbing him by the shoulder and shaking him companionably. "Now you really have lost your head. There's nothing wrong with the arrangement. Neither of you are truly alone. And besides, you have only danced with her one night. Let us see how things progress. They may turn out better than you anticipate."

He sighed heavily. "You would warn me if I was getting myself into trouble, wouldn't you?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Do I look like I would do anything less? Trust me. And now," I said, standing, "I really have lingered long enough, and must continue my journey." I motioned for him to come with me, and he rose accordingly. Linking arms companionably, we continued our course, eventually breaking the silence to talk about other, less uncomfortable subjects. But despite the change in conversation, I could tell from my friend's face that thoughts of the beautiful moon princess were never very far from his mind.


	3. Eyveniel

_**Chapter 3**_

_Eyveniel_

Poor Joremn – he knew I was distracted when I practically tripped over him while we were dancing, but of course he was far too much of a gentleman to ask me what was on my mind. And how could I tell him? I may be considered an innocent, but that doesn't mean I am without a sense of dignity and propriety. I wasn't about to confess the inner workings of my heart to him, even if he had become a very good friend in the month that I had known him.

Inner workings. I laugh now at the phrase, for in the beginning the thing I felt was really quite immature, like those girlish infatuations the humans seem so prone to. And, just like human girls have been rumored to do, I kept it to myself, blushing at the mere thought of my feelings, and refusing to reveal them to anyone.

Most nights I managed to keep my distraction to a minimum, but that night I couldn't help it. For I knew with certainty that, as soon as I had finished with my duties as Princess of the Moon, I would have the chance of meeting with the object of my affections.

The second time I stumbled over his feet, I nearly fell to the ground. Joremn caught my arm, however, and righted me within an instant. I looked up, intending to thank him, and found a concerned look on his face.

"Are you alright, my lady?"

I smiled rather breathlessly at him. "Oh, I am," I said. "Just.... excited, I guess."

Excited? Where had that come from? I had harbored no intention of telling him.

"Excited?" He smiled in return. "About what? ….If you wish to tell me, that is."

Honestly, I would have preferred that the subject had never come up in the first place, but his tone was so apologizing and polite that I couldn't help but take him into my confidence – at least a little ways.

"Tomorrow – or today, I suppose it won't be long now – I will be paid a visit by Coranth, Prince of the Sun," I told him, trying to keep my enthusiasm from escaping into my voice.

His eyebrows raised in interest. "He mentioned something of the sort this morning," he said, trying to make it sound like he only just remembered it. But I had noticed that he usually remembered things in exact details, especially when they concerned Coranth and myself, so I wondered why he would try to conceal the fact from me.

"Tell me," he continued, "what is the occasion?"

"Oh, he comes regularly – several times a year," I said. "He says he does so to check on me and to see that all is well, since I have no close relatives who are still living."

"He says..." Joremn repeated. He had caught the subtle tone in my voice, much as I had tried to disguise it, and was on verge of asking if I held to a different theory. But he did not ask, and for a few moments everything was silent as his gentle green eyes lost themselves in thought.

"And you enjoy these visits very much?" he asked, returning to the present.

"Oh yes!" I said, beaming. "Coranth is ever so kind." I desperately hoped I was not blushing.

"Indeed he is," Joremn agreed with a grin. "He is one of the most honest and generous beings I know." He twirled me around. "And fearless. There is no length he will not go to in order to fight against the Prince of Corruption. It is because of his efforts that things are relatively peaceful in this corner of the world."

"Oh please, tell me about that!" I begged him. "He refuses to talk about it whenever he comes to visit me, and all I hear otherwise are rumors. Is his work really as dangerous as the reports let on?"

Joremn nodded solemnly. "More so, I would dare add," he said. "I often accompany him when he goes out to confront the villain."

I gasped. To think that I had been dancing with this prince for over a month, and in all that time he had not even breathed a word of it!

Our normal pattern of dance dictated that we should have moved apart by this point, but we had forgotten about routine in the course of our conversation, and he continued twirling me absentmindedly as he spoke.

"The Prince of Corruption has a very strong hold on the hearts and lives of humans – and his control takes many different forms, on many different fronts. That is why he is so hard to confront. His servants are masters of disguise." Grabbing both of my hands, he spun me around and then released me in rhythm, so that I could go twirling off on my own before I came back him.

"And have you had many narrow scrapes – recently?" I asked, returning and placing my hands once more in his.

He nodded. "The most recent one was a week ago. Coranth thought up a scheme that placed us in a very precarious position, and it almost fell through at the last minute. But we escaped unharmed, and we were able to prevent the murders of several unsuspecting humans as well."

"Oh... oh my," I murmured.

"Indeed," he said, smiling. "I do not like to think of what would have happened if those humans had been killed."

"But.... but you and Coranth, Joremn!" I protested. "Can't you imagine what would happen if harm came to you?"

"I could, though I prefer not to," he said. "It's a risk we must take – and we are glad to take it, you must understand, if we can only make some progress in the battle against evil. What use is there in burdening ourselves with fear?"

He did have a point, and I nodded reluctantly. "Yes.... oh, but do try to be careful!"

"To the best of my ability," he said. We swayed together for a few minutes, him gazing into my face and thinking some far-off thought, when suddenly he came back to where he was.

"My dear lady, forgive me!" he cried. "I have been holding up the dance while my mind went a-wandering! Now, where were we?"

I tried to protest that I hadn't minded at all, but he would not listen, insisting that we fall back into our old pattern. We did so after a minute of discussion, and the rest of the night passed as merrily as it had before. But I could not help wondering at this strange, kind prince, who considered his life to be nothing compared to the work he was doing – and also that he should be so careful around me. What was I to him, besides a friend and a dancing partner? Didn't he know that he had nothing to be afraid of in me?


	4. The Heart's Own Secret

_I'm so glad you all are liking the story so far! Thank you for your kind reviews! I'm going to be embarking on NaNoWriMo in a few days, so I probably won't update again for a month. Please forgive me! Do not fear, though, because I am desperately in love with this story, and I may find a way to sneak in working on it during November... we'll see! ;) _

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**_Chapter 4 _**

_Eyveniel_

"Well, fair princess! How goes it with you?"

The jovial voice of Coranth rang through my mansion, deep with the interplay of melodic tones that made his voice resonate like an orchestra, powerful and commanding, a voice that could be anything but ignored.

My heart went through a change as radical as that of a bird leaping into flight, for I had not expected him quite this early, and I had received no warning of his arrival. _Oh, slow down! _I ordered it, but the command was half-hearted, for I could no more order it to cease its pounding than I could order myself to be gloomy on this day of all days.

Not bothering to restrain my smile, I glided to the top of the grand staircase just in time to see my servants shut the front door behind him, and to see him turn from thanking them to look up expectantly for me.

Oh, how I wanted time to hold still for that moment so that I could just stand there, drinking in the sight of him! Everything about him glowed golden, illuminating the front hall. His golden hair, laden with flashing sparks of sunlight, swirled about his face. Every time he moved his head it moved with him, in a swishing motion that seemed to tell of the swiftness of its owner. His face possessed a fascinating blend of depth and hardness, its outlines etched in stone like the face of a cliff – making his smile shine even brighter when it broke forth, noble and beautiful to the last degree. But his eyes… never have I seen such burning intensity, nor so forceful a will looking out of those windows to the soul. How I would hate to ever be the object of his anger! But to be one whom he loved…

"My lord Coranth!" I greeted him, trying to keep my voice at a normal level. I would much rather have called out his name and dashed down the stairs to fling my arms around his neck, but such an action was not befitting a lady of propriety. "It is so good of you to come!"

"My pleasure!" he said, leaping up the stairs to meet me and taking my hand to lead me the rest of the way down the stairs. "I trust that things have been well? You have not lacked for anything?"

"Oh, nothing!" I assured him hurriedly. "The servants are all most polite, the cook outdoes herself with each successive meal -- and the new lamps you gave me last time you were here work beautifully. Really, I am quite content."

We entered my sitting room, and after he assisted me into a chair, he seated himself across from me. I continued detailing how happy my life was until I ran out of things to say, all the while feeling a little color steal into my cheeks at the thought that I had lied when I said I was content. Coranth listened attentively, but when I had finished he looked at me with concern.

"Tell me, Eyveniel," he spoke gently. "If you are really as content as you said, then what is it that brings such a sad shade into your eyes?"

I was startled and a little frightened that I had not succeeded in fooling him, and I was about to deny that I was sad at all, but he foresaw my argument and halted me.

"Come now," he continued with a kind, encouraging tone. "I see the reserve in your face. What is it that you wish?"

Could I really tell him all that I wished? No, I could not. It would have been all wrong.

"Well," I said, looking at the ground as I was unsure of what to say. "There has certainly been no fault with any of my.... my physical surroundings. This mansion is more than spacious enough for me, and I have everything I need."

"But you are lonely," he said.

I looked up at him, startled. "How...?"

He chuckled softly. "There's no surprise in that, now is there?" he asked. "I can see it in your face, and I know you have often lacked for company. But come," he cried, his voice changing and returning to that bright, glowing tone it usually had. "Word has reached me that you have not been entirely lonely! Tell me about this dancing partner of yours!"

I blushed, feeling slightly uncomfortable at the turn the conversation had taken, and not exactly sure why. "Joremn?" I said. "Well, I should think you would know all about that already, seeing as how you see him every day."

"It's difficult to get Joremn to tell me about anything concerning you. And besides, I want to hear it from your own lips."

"Yes," I agreed, thinking back to the conversation I had had with him last night. "Coranth, is it true that you are often in danger? When you go to fight the Prince of Corruption, I mean?"

He frowned, taken off guard by the abrupt change in topic. "Did he tell you about that? I didn't expect...."

"He did," I said. "It's the first time since we've known each other that I have heard him speak of it. Oh Coranth, promise me that you will be careful!"

"I.... I will," he said, leaning backwards a little as if it would be easier to comprehend me if I were several inches farther away from him. "I always try to take every precaution, I can assure you of that. But why this sudden preoccupation with my safety? I am alive and well now, aren't I?"

I didn't know what to say to him. I found myself looking at my hands. "But I've only just now realized what peril you are in," I said. "Of course I have a right to worry." I looked up at him. "And what would I do if you were suddenly taken from me?"

He stared at me. "Do I mean that much to you?"

I told myself firmly to stop fidgeting. "It is like you said, Coranth. I am lonely... sometimes. And you have been.... you have been like family to me."

What strange shadow of a thought was it that lingered for a moment over his face? What hidden emotion, there and then quickly buried again? I could not say.

"I... am honored that you think.... so much of me," he said slowly. "I... forgive me. I will try to visit you more often."

"I did not mean my words to be a reproach," I said.

"They were not," he replied. "They only reminded me of something my heart has told me many times before. I cannot help but feel responsible that you are so lonely. I should have come more often, and I will, in the future."

My heart leaped at the thought, but I could not pluck the one thing that lightened my soul out of his words and leave the rest ignored. "But why should you feel responsible?" I asked. "It is not your fault."

"Is it not?" He spoke the words with a sort of dreamy air, as if they were never meant to be more than thoughts, spoken to himself and not spoken aloud. After several seconds he snapped himself out of his reverie. "Yes, well. How on earth did the conversation ever get here? Come, you must be hungry, and I am holding up your repast."

"No, please, stay," I said, as I always did whenever he tried to leave in this manner. "The moon grapes have ripened and been pressed into wine, and the silver apples are finer than they've been for many a year. I have a feast prepared for the both of us."

"Splendid!" he cried with a grin. "My lady, you always outdo yourself every time I come!"

Having said this, he offered me his arm and escorted me into the dining room of my palace, where we talked of many other things, none of which had any real importance, and which had no real purpose save to fill up the empty silence and to help us set aside the memory of the strange conversation that had just transpired.


	5. Unwilling Counselor

_At last, another chapter! Please forgive me for disappearing for so long. NaNoWriMo sapped my strength, and I'm currently in the middle of a writing break... but I could not resist briefly suspending the hiatus to edit and post this next chapter. Enjoy!  
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**_Chapter 5_**

_Joremn_

She had something on her mind – something that she had been wanting to say to me for the whole night. But I thought it too rude to ask her outright what it was, and so I waited until she should reveal it to me in her own time.

And she did, in the last hour we had together before we parted for the night. We had just completed a cycle and come together so that I could twirl her around, when she bade me halt the dance and looked up at me earnestly.

"Joremn, there's something I must tell you – something I need help with."

"Anything," I replied with conviction.

She smiled at me ruefully. "You are so good," she murmured. "I cannot tell you how grateful I am to have a friend like you." She looked at the ground and bit her lip in anxiety. "You swear that you won't tell anyone unless I give you permission?"

A shadow passed over my heart as my mind wondered what kind of thing she could possibly wish to tell me, and what kind of chains I would be binding myself with by my promise, if the secret turned out to be something horrible.

"Does it concern another?" I asked.

"Yes. It's nothing that would harm anyone if it was found out.... save perhaps myself, and …. well, I don't know how I can explain it without just telling you. Do you promise?"

"I promise," I said, trying to ignore the brief flicker of apprehension as I spoke the words. "Now, tell me."

She smiled to herself, her eyes roving restlessly in some unidentified space. "I wouldn't tell just anyone this," she said quietly, in that gentle way that made me love her ten times more every time she used it. "I think, if I was in my right mind, that I wouldn't even tell it to you." She blushed and lowered her head. "But I'm tired of feeling alone with my emotions, and there's no one else who would... who would understand like you would. And I need your help."

My heart quickened, hastily proclaiming the one possibility that I didn't even dare to dream of. But with a burst of anger I clamped a mental hand over the voice, reasoning with myself that something was out of place, and that she wouldn't have proceeded like this if she had come to tell me that... but I didn't finish the thought.

"If you feel that you are not committing some sort of indiscretion by telling me."

She swayed slightly, causing her moonbeam hair to ripple as it flowed down her back. "I do not think so," she said. "But then again, I do not know. There are many things I haven't been certain of recently. My mind.... will you tell me if you think I have spoken out of turn? I will not be offended."

Her openness disturbed me. I felt myself in a precarious position, to have suddenly been handed so much of her heart. Part of me wanted to tell her to take it back, to revoke her trust in me. Perhaps it seems like I am considerate, but I know myself and my faults. It would be far too easy to blunder into a misstep without even realizing it. She wanted me for a counselor. But who was I to give advice? What wisdom could I possibly have to offer, when my heart was still prone to flying away at odd moments?

"If you wish me to."

She looked me in the eye for the first time in what seemed an eternity, giving me the briefest flash of a real smile. I did not understand what caused the smile, but then again, most of her ways and thought processes are still far beyond me.

The smile gone, the look of anxiety returned, along with the traces of pink in her cheeks. "I've told myself that I would tell you." She laughed nervously. "But now that it cannot be delayed any longer, I wonder why I did. Am I supposed to feel this embarrassed?" She put a hand to her cheek and studied the ground again.

"You don't have to," I offered. "Do not feel bound to telling me, if you would rather not."

"No," she said firmly. "I will tell you, because I know that when I get back home I will wish I had, and I cannot stand to not tell anyone any longer." She sighed, raised her face to the sky, and laughed bitterly. "And now I've made the whole thing sound ten times more dreadful than it is by fretting and fussing over it!"

"Well," I said quietly. "I am here listening, whenever you decide to tell me."

She took a deep breath and looked up at me. "I..... I think I'm in love.... with Coranth."

For a few sickening moments, I could not remember how to breathe.

Stop, jealousy that rose within my heart at the words! No, leave me! Didn't you know that it would be this way? Didn't you know that she could never really love you in the way you wanted?

Think about it, Joremn! I commanded myself fiercely. Why shouldn't it be this way? Who could be more worthy of her affections than Coranth? Did not the sun and moon belong in the sky together? He, golden, radiant, powerful… and she; gentle, pure, ethereal – why, how could two such perfect natures be made for anything but each other?

Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! screamed logic. But my heart had closed its ears, wrenching and crying out in dismay. The two fought a bitter battle, neither able to completely take the upper hand. I stood motionless, my head dizzy. I felt myself sway a little on my feet, but I held myself rigid, forcing myself not to collapse like I wished to do.

"Joremn?"

Her voice! The voice I had heard so many times before, the voice that broke my heart! Always her voice had been something beyond my reach, something that I had no control over, something that flowed softly in and out of my life like raindrops sliding down a window pane. Don't listen to it, I told myself. Don't pause to think about the notes of music that fly from her lips – don't feel them. For she has gone away. She was never yours, and never will be yours, and to feel the notes would be a sin.

"Joremn, are you angry with me? Have I spoken wrongly?"

Curse my foolishness! She had mistaken my silence for disapproval! Angry? How could I be angry with her? Had she not done right?

"Oh no, of course not!" I murmured fervently, thankful that my voice, at least, was steady. "Forgive me, I was only thinking."

"Thinking?" she asked insistently, the worry evident in her voice. "And pray, what were you thinking? Tell me!"

What was I thinking? Stop! Don't ask that, for that is not safe to tell!

I hesitated for a little too long, and she took a step backwards from me, terribly quiet. Her eyes stared at me, wounded and, in a way, accusing.

"You think I'm foolish, don't you?"

"No, not at all!" I cried. "I... I was only reflecting on how... on how well you two would suit each other." It was not a lie, which gave me some degree of comfort, be it ever so small. I forced myself to put on a smile, in an attempt to make her feel at ease.

Fortunately, if any of my true feelings were visible, she did not notice them. Her eyes sparkled at what I had said. "Oh, do you really think so?" she asked breathlessly, hopefully.

"I do," I replied. The logical side of me had won control of my exterior, for the moment. But such a fragile control! Oh please, let this conversation end soon, so that I could be alone!

Her smile faded into worry once again. "Oh... but he doesn't know how I feel... and I have no way of knowing if he feels anything for me -- if he'd even be offended if he knew! Joremn, what should I do? I don't think I could ever bear to tell him. That would be too forward, to assuming. But what if he finds out on accident? Oh, swear that you will not breathe a word of this to him, Joremn!"

"I swore so before you told me," I said firmly. "I do not intend to go back on that promise now that you have revealed your thoughts to me."

"Oh, you are good!" she cried, the nervous energy radiating from her, not caring whether the emotion of the moment was joy or anxiety, so long as the energy itself could find expression. "Could anyone wish for a truer friend than you?" She grasped my hands pleadingly. "Counsel me, Joremn! What should I do?"

My heart quavered at the thought of giving counsel to her. Oh, how I selfishly wanted to tell her that her feelings were complete nonsense – that she must give them up completely and never think of Coranth in that way again! And beyond that, what could I say? My own tumultuous feelings blocked out every shred of wisdom I could claim to possess!

It seemed that my mouth began to move of its own volition. I cringed, wondering what botched, reasonless thing would immerge. It astounded me, therefore, when the words I said seemed to make sense. It was only after I had spoken them that I realized what they were: they were the same advice that Coranth had given to me, back in the days when my soul had still possessed some small glimmer of hope – perhaps not long ago in the space of measurable time, but to my weeping heart it seemed that endless ages had passed since that time.

"Be patient," I said. "Wait and see what will come. Right now it is nothing more than a feeling."

"Yes," she interrupted, drinking in my words as if they were water. "But such a feeling! I feel as if my heart will burst with the feeling!"

Well I knew the sensation – far too well. It seemed such foolishness now that such thoughts could have once belonged to me.

"I know," I said before I meant to. "But you must try to contain it. If you will wait, the situation will become clear with time."

I felt my face grow red with alarm as the incriminating "I know" slipped out of my mouth. But Eyveniel did not notice it in the least. She was reflecting on my words, and sighing as she stared off into the distance.

"I suppose you are right," she said. "Your words have the ring of certainty that only wisdom has. But oh, it is so hard to just wait! I wish you had told me to do something definite... but I guess any other advice would be wrong advice, wouldn't it?" She sighed again.

I looked to the east and saw a faint glow that told me that dawn was not far off.

"The day is coming," I said, gesturing to the sky. "You had best be getting home."

She followed my gaze with a somewhat startled expression. "You are right. I got so caught up in what I was saying that I forgot." She smiled at me. "Thank you, Joremn, for hearing me out. I cannot tell you how much better I feel now!" She twirled around. "Until tomorrow night, then!"

"Until tomorrow," I returned quietly.

With a wave and a small, merry laugh she danced off into the fleeing night.

I stood watching her go, numb, not sure if I was able to move anymore. Her name rose to my lips, as if I would call out to her and ask her to come back. But only the first whispered syllable appeared before, with a swift and heavy blow, my logical mind silenced it.

And then the spell of stillness broke violently, and I found myself running through a forest gradually growing lighter with the coming dawn. Running without direction, without any purpose save to move, and by moving to vainly attempt to ignore the one, monotonous wail that rose inside of me.

She! She! She!

The tree roots that would have tripped other runners automatically made way for me, their prince, and so I fled, farther and farther, until the running hurt my heart more than standing still.

She! She! She!

"Stop," I whispered feebly as I slowed to a halt. "Not her name. Stop."

The wave of grief rose against the vessel of my soul and overturned it with its inexorable hand. I briefly felt myself falling, tears stinging my eyes.... but I was never conscious of hitting the ground.


End file.
